Is "faith enquire/apply" IC?

[Neleya]

For a first post-

If PC X faith enquires and applies using your own PC when your faith isn't revealed, would this be considered an IC or OOC move, and should my PC then be aware that he/she is being informed of PC X's interest?

[Harroghty]

I see those commands as semi-IC, sort of how I see greet. One doesn't (should not?) just walk in the room and greet without also saying, "Hi, I'm Bob the Mage." Likewise, one doesn't (should not?) simply use the faith commands without accompanying role-playing.

I further believe it to be poor role-play if the mostly OOC use of the faith commands circumvents role-play of a concealed belief or alignment. I would encourage you to react IC ("I believe that you are mistaken!") to the OOC act and encourage those around you to play along.

[Neleya]

Thanks, Harroghty.

While I admire the integrity of a player to react ICly to accidentally inappropriate OOC actions, because the faith enquiry/apply echoes aren't announced to the rest of the present PCs, it sounds like we might be exacerbating the IC results of these OOC actions.

It is my understanding that a good number of players, myself included, that play evil characters/characters who serve the darker deities would prefer to keep any hints of their loyalties secret, even OOCly. Would the suggestion to react ICly, then, be unnecessary self-sabotage for an OOC problem?

I'd love to hear from the floor too, has anyone encountered an experience similar to this, and did you handle it ICly, or did you manage it OOCly?

[Gwain]

I don't handle it. I've begun to stop believing in ooc, to me its poison. I will only use osay if I have to and will only respond to osays if I have to, people that justify their rp oocly are treated to silence until they switch to ic. This is the case with faith, I will only respond to what I see ic, if I see something ooc I will not react. This includes seeing symbols on corpses, people accidentally pulling out or revealing a symbol in a bag etc. I don't let it affect me, I've come from both extremes in the past and am content to keep things icly and block out those that cannot.

As for faith, secret faiths of evil nature, well its your word against theirs. If they think they can justify mistrust, it will manifest itself. If you think they're using ooc info to factor into their rp, well ignore them. If the rp is not conclusive, makes no sense, has no ic justification then its not worth the time or effort. The exception to the rule is admins/imms/staff ooc interaction, that should be followed as it is for the betterment of the mud.

And for faith inquiring, Faith Leaders that want to have faithful in a faith, should take their hopeful status followers seriously even if they don't know them, because if it is possible to contact them and to quest them, its better than making them dance a fandango for rl weeks or months on end. Get them into the faith as fast as you deem necessary if that is your mandate.

[Aticus]

One of my characters received information about a faith hopeful. I believed this to be a communication from the deity, but I was, apparently, wrong. Even though I RP'd my tells to the person and indicated that my god had shown me her name, she sent me an otell to reprimand me and then turned off otells so that I couldn't explain.

So, if I get that message, is it IC from the god or OOC from the mechanics of the game?

Thanks!

[Mele]

If you received a login message, unless directed otherwise you should not take them quite so literal.

These messages are tools for high ranked members of the faith to be aware of rp opportunities not a direct message from the deity.

This is especially sensitive with secretive faiths, as the names of hopefuls would not be given out beyond the faith manager themselves likely.

TLDR: Messages for higher ranks are tools to be used when given the direction from the faiths admin to do so. They are not literal messages from your God.

[Aticus]

Thanks very much for the heads up. I've been away so long that I've missed much. I thought it was bad form not to allow me to otell back - especially since she had, no doubt, never seen me on before.

Thanks again!